The War in Ukraine enters its Eighth Month
The damaged Kerch Strait Bridge after explosions on Oct. 8. - AFP via Getty Images
Eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the conflict has continued and impacts are being felt across the globe. Here are the latest developments from the past few months.
From Sept. 23 to 27, Russia held referendums in four occupied regions of Ukraine, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, with the goal of annexation. These four regions made up about 15 per cent of Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian officials reported that people were coerced into voting in the referendums, with armed groups going to homes and employment being threatened if employees did not participate. The United Nations, Western allies, and Ukraine all denounced the votes as illegitimate. On Sept. 28, Russia annexed all four areas.
According to Reuters, Ukraine has made several advances into Russian-occupied territory over the past month. The Ukrainian armed forces have reportedly pushed approximately 30 kilometres into Russian-held lands.
They also reportedly recaptured the town of Lyman and have neared the major city of Kherson. In response to these victories, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a partial mobilization of Russia’s forces, calling up reservists and beginning a partial draft.
On Oct. 8, parts of the only bridge connecting Crimea to Russia exploded and collapsed when a truck exploded and lit multiple fuel cisterns. Kerch Strait Bridge was 19 kilometres long and held both symbolic and strategic value as it was built after Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 and provides supply lines for the military and citizens. At least three people were killed in the blast, according to Russian investigators. The New York Times corroborated between intelligence provided by an Ukrainian senior official and Russian claims that Ukraine was behind the attack. However, Ukraine has not admitted responsibility.
On Oct. 25, in a closed door United Nations Security Council meeting, the issue of dirty bombs was discussed. Russia claimed Ukraine was planning to use a dirty bomb. Dirty bombs are made up of regular explosives as well as radioactive materials, possibly sourced from hospital equipment. While the initial danger is from the explosion rather than radiation, dirty bombs can force people to evacuate and render large areas uninhabitable for decades.
Western allies have dismissed these allegations as blatantly false. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted on Oct. 24, “#NATO allies reject this allegation...We must remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine.”
On Oct. 29, Russia backed out of a deal to allow Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports. The deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July and has allowed millions of tonnes of grain to be exported since then, relieving global food supply chain issues. Russia cited an alleged drone attack by Ukraine against a Russian fleet in the Black Sea as the cause for this.
In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said that it “cannot guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships participating in the Black Sea initiative, and suspends its implementation from today for an indefinite period.”
Currently, people in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and another city Kharkiv, are dealing with long power cuts. Ukrainian authorities warned citizens to expect no power for periods of over four hours at a time due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Pres- ident Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a tweet on Oct. 18, that about a third of the country’s electric power stations have now been destroyed by air attacks.